More Robbie Lawler

Biography

When and why did you start fighting? "When I was little, my dad got me into martial arts (Tae Kwon Do). Then, I moved to Iowa and started wrestling. Pat [Miletich] would come in to the wrestling room and work out with us before his fights. I wrestled around with him for a little bit and then he told me to come up."

What is your biggest weapon in a fight? "My determination to win."

What are your goals as a fighter in the UFC? “To keep winning. To move up in the ranks and wait for my turn."

Who has been your biggest influence in fighting? "Mike Tyson, because of his knockout power. The first boxing match I ever watched was Tyson vs. Spinks. After that, I was hooked. I just like his power and tenacity and how he fights everyone like they stole something from him."

He returned to the UFC in February 2013 and began his rise to a title run with wins over Josh Koscheck (TKO), Bobby Voelker (KO) and Rory MacDonald (split decision).

When St-Pierre announced his intention to step away from competition and vacate his welterweight title, UFC president Dana White announced that Lawler would face Hendricks for the championship at UFC 171. Hendricks won a gritty unanimous decision, but the defeat didn’t deter Lawler from a second run.

The native of San Diego returned to the Octagon two months later and scored a third-round knockout of Jake Ellenberger, then defeated Matt Brown by unanimous decision in a welterweight eliminator in July 2014.

It gave him another shot at Hendricks, and this time Lawler finally reached the top.